Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting range of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high hand, along with several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha High-Low.